Talk:History (Endhaven Supplement)

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I wanted to read over the history so that my contributions to the wikiworld could be better incorporated into the setting, but I've found them to be vague (which is to be expected in a growing project) and self-contradictory (which I didn't expect quite so much). I came up with a few questions/comments based on some vagueness and contradiction, partly because I want to know the answers myself, and partly to point them out:

Did self-awareness first occur in the elemental age or the age of heroes?

Was it the generative planes or the exemplary planes that pushed the elemental planes apart?

Did life come from the generative planes or the elemental planes?

How exactly did Thule come to power?

The text says it's been thirty years since the "end" of the wars of law and chaos, but the timeline indicates twenty-one.

I really want to see this history more expansive and accurate, so I was thinking of perhaps writing a new history page, clearing up some of the above things as well as things I didn't take time to look for. This would almost definately make some things in the wikiworld need changing because they drew upon something on which this page contradicted itself, so I figured I should ask what other contributors (particularly the originator, Dmilewski) think of me being so bold as to take on this project. --Daniel Draco 00:11, 24 June 2007 (MDT)

Damn that continuity monster!!! Good questions.

Did self-awareness first occur in the elemental age or the age of heroes? The Elemental Age. It is here that the Elemental Lords first waged their great wars.

Was it the generative planes or the exemplary planes that pushed the elemental planes apart? Elemental->Generative->Exemplary.

Did life come from the generative planes or the elemental planes? That's a good question. Pseudo-life (elementals) arose on the elemental planes. True life arose on the generative planes. Transcended life (undead, saints, demons, devils, angels, etc.) arose on the exemplary planes.

How exactly did Thule come to power? Thule was a mercenary general working for Good in the War of Good and Evil. After Good won their battles, they were unable to pay for their mercenary armies. General Thule reacted to this by seizing Charystos as payment. The other mercenary generals followed his example, seizing their own cities and kingdoms. These generals then fought with each other until Thule successfully defeated all opponents.

The timeline is correct. 21 years. The last of the Wars of Law and Chaos was against the Psychotic Assembly.

As a note, the Wars of Law and Chaos should remains somewhat vague. Think about summarizing the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, the various Colonial Wars, World War I, and World War II into a single narrative. There should be enough episodes in those wars to provide for interesting little narratives, but never be so comprehensive that a DM can't fill whole episodes out of whole cloth.

History exists to add color to the setting, just as the set of a stage creates a setting for a play. Just like a stage set, history is a shallow backdrop. When you look behind it, you find that it more suggests history than is history itself. History provides mood and texture far more than it provides substance.

In general, I find that players don't remember detailed histories. However, a little history adds spice to the adventure. History makes the world seem a little more worn, and so a little more real.